Do you want to be rich and famous? Or do you have an idea that you think people would love to see? A filmmaker can do all that when they make a movie.
Whether you’re the future Scorsese, Cronenberg, or Tarantino, it’s time to make your Hollywood dreams come true.
With HD video cameras tucked inside iPhones and teenagers with stars in their eyes hosting their own YouTube channels, almost anyone can create their own film.
Digital cameras, video editing software like Final Cut Pro, and video-sharing websites such as YouTube and Vimeo have helped filmmaking more accessible, said Pixie Cram, the workshop co-ordinator for Ottawa film co-operative Saw Video.
“I’m of the mentality that it’s not the tool, it’s how you use it,” Cram said. “People can do really beautiful work with very basic video cameras. It’s got to do with how you compose the shot, the lighting, but also what you’re communicating.”
There’s no one set process used to make a film, she said. One filmmaker may start with a script, while another may jump right in without a script.
In general, however, Cram said making a movie can be divided into three stages: pre-production, production and post-production. If desired, the entire process can be completed by the filmmaker alone.
Making the movie
The preparation period before shooting the film is called pre-production.
“[It’s] anything to do with script-writing, storyboarding. If you’re doing a documentary, it’s making a treatment. Researching, identifying locations, or subjects if it’s a non-fiction film. Writing grant proposals, breaking down your script into a shooting schedule,” Cram said.
Depending on the type of film and the size of production, an indie filmmaker may also want to use a writer, a storyboard artist, a location scout to find the best settings, a production manager to take care of the logistics and scheduling, and a production designer to make the film look good, Cram said.
When it’s time to get the camera rolling, the film is in its production stage. At this stage, the cast and crew film the movie, Cram said.
If working with a crew, Cram said she would recommend having a separate sound technician and cinematographer to get the best possible audio and video quality. For those with a bit of money to splurge, Cram said she also recommends spending a bit more money on an external microphone.
Editing the raw footage into a final film is called the post-production stage. Separate audio and video editors can be useful, Cram said, and some student filmmakers may have a composer working on the music and another editor to insert titles.
Marketing your movie
Once post-production is complete, the filmmaker may want an audience.
An obvious distribution option for students is to post the film on a video-sharing website.
Cram said she recommends Vimeo over YouTube. Posting videos to a blog is another option, she said.
The filmmaker may also choose to enter a festival. Many film festivals have student categories, and some will award cash prizes, Cram said.
“The festivals are a really good stepping stone because, if you can get into one, then [the film] gets seen by a number of people,” she said.
But watch out for those charging exorbitant entrance fees, Cram said. Some festivals are “out to exploit,” she said.
“Be careful about spending $100 on an entry fee and having to buy an airplane ticket and go to Palm Springs to attend the opening. It’s not necessarily gonna be the thing that breaks you in your career.”
Local film festivals are a great option because many are free to enter or only charge a small fee, she said.
The Ottawa Animation Festival, for instance, is free to enter, pays entrants a screening fee and has specific prizes for students.
Cash prizes aren’t as common at Canadian film festivals as they are in the United States, Cram said, but winning a prize is one way of recouping some of the costs involved with making a film.
Films can be made on the cheap with a consumer-grade digital camera, she said. Using video editing software on a personal computer can also keep costs low.
Another option is to apply for grants from film organizations, such as government bodies Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).
But some of these grants come with restrictions.
The NFB offers cash and technical services grants, but the organization also retains some or all of the copyright to the film.
The Canada Council for the Arts offers grants for “emerging artists,” but undergraduate students aren’t eligible.
Some filmmakers have turned to the Internet to ask for donations. On a website called Kickstarter, aspiring creative types can ask donors to help fund their artistic projects in exchange for “rewards,” which the website defines as “things like a copy of what’s being made, a limited edition or a custom experience related to the project.”
Doing it all on a budget
Unfortunately, most student films are funded by the filmmakers themselves, Cram said.
One way of keeping costs down is to join an indie film co-operative, such as Saw Video or the Independent Filmmakers Cooperative of Ottawa. Filmmakers can pay an annual fee membership fee and rental fees to access professional filming and editing equipment.
At Saw, anyone wishing to rent equipment also has to take basic the co-operative’s basic classes, Cram said.
The cost of making a film will vary widely, Cram said. As a very general estimate, if using volunteers and free local settings, a short film could be made in about a week and cost about $500 using Saw’s filming and editing equipment.
Cram said her best recommendation is to start out small by making a short film.
“Don’t expect too much of yourself,” she said. “It’s good to start with low expectations, that this is a learning experience to begin with. And […] take risks, too. Just do it. Try it because the only way to get better is to practice.”
